The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Salem division not to be bigger than Palakkad: Kerala CM

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Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007
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Salem division not to be bigger than Palakkad: Kerala CM

Staff Reporter

Says Centre will consider proposal for coastal railway zone

V.S. Achuthanandan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has said that the Centre has agreed to ensure that the size of the proposed Salem Railway division will not be bigger than the Palakkad division.

The Chief Minister disclosed this while reporters here quizzed him on Tuesday on the talks he held with the Central leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, in New Delhi recently.

``There were reports that the `mother’ division which is Palakkad will be smaller than the `child’, the Salem division. Reports had it that large areas will be carved out of Palakkad division to create the new Salem division.

The Central leaders had promised that this will not happen,” the Chief Minister said.

Mr Achuthanandan said the Central leaders had agreed to favourably consider the proposal to set up a coastal railway zone. The proposal has to be placed before the Planning Commission and the Cabinet.

He said during the talks, the Central Government had agreed to proceed with the proposal to set up a coach factory at Kanjikode, near Palakkad, at an investment of Rs.6,000 crore. Even though this proposal was mooted way back in 1984, it was then shifted to Punjab. The Railways will also proceed with the proposal to construct bogie components unit at Autocast factory at Cherthala.

Asked whether he was happy with the outcome of the talks with the Central leaders the Chief Minister said, ``by and large the talks were positive.”

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